


propaganda (i saw the shinigami in uzushio)

by orphan_account



Series: All Written by Same Author [38]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Case Fic, Don't Repost Onto Another Site, Founders Era (Naruto), Founding of Konoha, Fuinjutsu, Gen, How Do I Tag, Implied Murder, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Family Death, Kidnapping, Missing Persons, Or Is It?, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Uchiha Military Police, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Warring States Period (Naruto), bless hikaku tho, don't copy onto another site, main characters equal exactly what 0 accountability looks like, naruto verse: good people? whot are thooooose
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:40:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26380543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Izuna and Tobirama created the dream village their brothers never did, but now Konoha is seeing it's first series of missing persons.Mito and Tobirama are glad they put Izuna in charge of the investigation.Written for Izuna Appreciation Week, Day Six:Edo Tenseiand/orJustice.
Relationships: Senju Tobirama & Uchiha Izuna & Uzumaki Mito, Uchiha Hikaku & Uchiha Izuna, Uchiha Izuna & Uchiha Madara
Series: All Written by Same Author [38]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2032297
Comments: 8
Kudos: 31
Collections: Izuna Appreciation Week





	propaganda (i saw the shinigami in uzushio)

**Author's Note:**

> okay, basic premise:  
> Madara and Hashirama died before Konoha was founded, instead of Izuna. Izuna and Tobirama created Konoha to honor them, and Mito, now Hashirama's widow, is the Hokage's closest advisor and Head of Foreign Affairs. 
> 
> also, you know how i called another one of my fics experimental? yeah, this one is waaay more experimental, so hhhhh

_Unknown Location, Sep. 25th _

"Your strokes are too mechanical, too structured. Life isn't like that." Mito tuts, peering judgmentally over her tea.

" _My_ life is." Tobirama retorts, eyes never once straying from the drafting paper.

Izuna shrugs from the floor, laying on his back.

"Mine isn't. Do you think we'll need to make individualized seals? I hope not." 

Izuna hates biographies.

His two associates suck in audible breaths at that. This whole thing is a nightmare, and the longer it stretches on, the more they're liable to slip up. 

They have an agreement, if it comes to that. Mito will take the fall—her clan would welcome her no matter what, and Uzushio is an infinitely safe place for her children.

"Haha, you guys go chew on that. I've got to go to work." Izuna says, reluctantly getting off the floor.

Mito and Tobirama can glare at him all they want, but Izuna's job is important, too.

* * *

_Uchiha Military Police Department, Sep. 25th_

"Ugh, who designed this paperwork?"

"You did, Izuna."

Yeah, thanks, Hikaku. Now he wants to cry even _more_. But he's a put-together adult now (probably), so Izuna only sighs heavily. He'll cry later.

"Ah. Another missing persons case?" Hikaku asks, looking over Izuna's shoulder. "Damn. People are gonna start thinking we're incompetent, pretty soon. I mean, this frustrates me, too. Where are they going? Who's taking them?"

Ah.

"…I wish I knew." Izuna pauses and shakes his head. "Disappearing right under our noses—I'd hate to say external interference, what with all our sensors. It's possible, but…"

Hikaku winces.

"Yeah, that's worse than an inside job. We _really_ don't need international conflict."

Izuna puts his head on his desk. This is _damn_ tiring.

"Who died and put me in charge, huh?" He mutters.

He hears Hikaku's startled breath. An awkward silence befalls the two of them—they _know_ who. Izuna sighs, a little more melancholic than is proper for company, even if it's just Hikaku.

_Soon…_

* * *

_Unknown Location, Sep. 30th_

"I saw him once, when I was a little girl." Mito claims wistfully. "The whole thing was very ritualistic. Less about ink than you seem to believe."

Izuna would call her a liar, but she's a classy lady. She knows what will personally flatter her—the truth is one of them. 

Not that she doesn't wear deceit well.

"You want me to draw a summoning circle, is that it?" Tobirama asks irritably.

Mito raises a brow. She gestures politely at Tobirama's pacing figure. 

"What did I just say? Stop with the ink for a moment, and consider _movement_. Fuinjutsu is all about intent and connection—it's not limited to paper." 

Izuna ponders her words, though he does disregard the movement part. That can always be integrated later, if necessary.

"Hey, thought exercise: why are we doing this?"

"Having second thoughts, are we?" Tobirama sneers, eyes cold and promising.

"No. For me, it's love. That's my intent. So let's make connections."

Tobirama blinks. Mito smiles approvingly.

"What is love, to you?" She asks.

"Madara. Family." 

"Elaborate, please."

"Um. Mostly circumstance, I guess? Like, sometimes you love people _because_ you're stuck with them, and sometimes you love them _despite_ that. It's–" Izuna feels like a total exhibitionist, but this is what the people want, isn't it? Besides, he _did_ propose this thought exercise. "…complicated. Yeah, love has a lot of complications. And compromise. And– …Oh. _Oh_."

Tobirama stares intently. " _'Oh'_ , what?"

Izuna laughs. 

"Sacrifice."

* * *

_Uchiha Military Police Department, Oct. 3rd_

"Okay, people are totally overreacting. Their kid comes home only ten minutes late, but they've already filed a missing persons report to the military police? _Incredible_. Honestly, I'm astonished—the processing department is seriously backlogged."

Izuna likes listening to Hikaku rant. His brother used to do that a lot, before Izuna killed him. Hikaku's brother, that is. Idly, Izuna wonders if Hikaku still believes the cover story… 

"None of the disappearances have even been under twenty years old." Izuna fuels. He would know.

Hikaku slides into his desk chair, holding his jaw in frustration.

"That's another thing! I mean, if a kid genuinely disappears, I'd definitely like to know, but this panic isn't helping. I'd hate for them to get lost in all the false reports."

"We should make some kind of rule—like a time requirement. If So-and-So has been missing for this long, _then_ you can file a report. Whaddya think?" 

"I don't know… the world is still pretty dangerous, you know? A time requirement could mean someone's death."

Izuna's plastic smile tightens. "Right. Silly me."

* * *

_Unknown Location, Oct. 3rd_

"I'm thinking I should put out a statement. You should back me up on it." Izuna tells Mito and Tobirama, ignoring the long, black bag between them. "'External factors at play—sabotage? Demoralization? Don't let them win.' Something like that, to channel the panic into unification. This whole treaty thing is still new-ish, you know." 

"Sounds too flashy. Do you always try to manipulate your citizens so?" Tobirama asks.

"Just yours, Shodaime-sama." Izuna tells him cheekily.

Mito frowns.

"A lovely idea, but _my_ clan is hardly in Konoha. We could be easy scapegoats. What about my children?"

"Right, sorry, you're not _entirely_ apathetic. But you _do_ remember the plan if this all goes wrong, don't you? Maybe you should start distancing yourself from the public…"

Mito narrows her eyes.

"Such a lover of mess, you are." 

It seems she's grown quite fond of Konoha, then.

"What makes you think we're going to fail?" Tobirama asks.

"…Um, what? That's… not the problem." Izuna smiles uncomfortably.

Crickets. Crickets would be perfect right now.

"Oh, jeeze. I don't think we're going to _fail._ Just that everything is going to go horribly, afterwards. Please tell me you've thought of that."

Mito and Tobirama share a look. They both get so wrapped up in their work sometimes that they forget the bigger picture. That's… actually okay. They get _so much_ done that way, and Izuna's here, isn't he? He can be the taskmaster.

"Right. Uh, where to start. Okay, the consequences…"

* * *

_Uchiha Military Police Department, Oct. 10th_

"You've been spending a lot of time with Shodaime-sama and Uzumaki-sama, lately. People start to talk, you know…" 

Izuna's blood runs cold. Hikaku is a smart and genuine guy, _he knows, he knows–_

Izuna swallows.

"Oh? Have I?"

"Yeah. The Hokage, the widow, and the Uchiha—that's what they've been saying." Hikaku smiles.

Is he overanalyzing? Because that 'widow' remark sounds terribly out of place. If Hikaku _didn't_ know, he'd obviously call Mito 'the Uzumaki', right? Right? Of course Mito is a widow—Hashirama is dead, dead, dead, just like Madara. That's the point. That's their _reasons_.

"Have they, now?"

Hikaku laughs suddenly, the sound of it startling Izuna out of his thoughts.

"Man, you don't give _anything_ away. Nothing for juicy office gossip? Not even a little bit?"

 _Oh._

Oh, _fuck_ , Hikaku is going to give him a heart attack one day.

Izuna gives him an easy, almost tired smile.

"...Afraid not. Just diplomacy. Sorry."

Hikaku sighs dramatically.

"Figures. But, hey, you've been kind of different, recently." Hikaku leans in and whispers, "I know this treaty wasn't the most equal thing and that's really not your fault, so if they're throwing their weight around… Let me know. Or if– if it's about _Madara_ , then. You can talk to me. Okay?"

"…I'm fine." At Hikaku's frown, he adds, "But, really, thanks."

* * *

_Unknown Location, Oct. 10th_

"I wonder how much we should be practicing, you know? The missing persons cases doubling… it's not looking good. What– what would Madara and Hashirama think?"

Mito frowns. It's just the two of them, today. Tobirama is trying to pacify the public. 

"I never met Madara. But… I suspect Hashirama would do the just thing, if he knew."

Izuna stares at her. 

"Will that be a problem?"

Mito sighs and nods. "We'll have to implement some form of control…"

Great. This nightmare only seems to get longer.

_I miss you…_

* * *

_Uchiha Military Police Department, Oct. 19th_

"…Are we incompetent? I mean, this system is new, but we've resolved so few cases…" Hikaku asks dejectedly, distinctly looking as if he hasn't slept for a few days.

_I'm sorry… You really care about this, don't you?_

"I– I don't think we're going to find them, Hikaku. We should… pronounce them dead."

"…Yeah, I'll get on that. How could they be alive? Stupid, stupid…" 

* * *

_Unknown Location, Oct. 19th_

"Why isn't this working!? Do we really need individualized seals? I don't know these people!"

"Ritual, Tobirama, we need more _ritual._ "

"We have that! But it always falls flat, Mito!"

"Well, it's an improvement, isn't it?"

Individualized seals are the last thing they need right now. How are they supposed to sum up a person's life if they don't know them? Ugh, he's thought it before and he'll think it again—Izuna _hates_ biographies. 

Biographies.

"Wait, wait, I think you're both right."

"I don't need your stupid peacekeeping, Izuna!" Tobirama sneers, probably the most stressed out of them.

"No, I mean it—we need individualized _rituals_. This whole thing revolves around life—and life needs a host."

"The body?" Mito asks.

"Exactly. We need to sum up a person's _body_."

"DNA. Oh– I have lots of Hashirama's hair." Tobirama says, his demeanor swiftly shifting.

Izuna touches his eyes.

"Don't be daft." Mito tells him.

"…Right. Right, I also have some of Madara's hair."

* * *

_Uchiha Military Police Department, Oct. 21st_

"Hikaku? What is it?"

"…A child really went missing, today, Izuna. An Uchiha."

"…Tell me their name."

* * *

_Unknown Location, Oct. 21st_

"You slimy, disgusting– bottom feeders! What the hell, we said no children!"

"Wha– A _child_? No, I would never! Here, here—look!" Tobirama shouts desperately. Mito looks up from her tea at the disturbance.

"…"

"Okay? You believe us, right? You– you have to believe us. I wouldn't. I _couldn't_."

"…I believe you. But who took Kagami, then? How could we not know?"

"The foreign delegates. From that new village in Lightning…" Mito chimes in quietly, probably thinking of her own children.

"…Okay. Okay, we're almost finished, yes? We just need a final test drive." Izuna considers, a dangerous look in his eyes.

"Yes, let's kill them. We can, ah, wrap this up nicely. And I wouldn't have to take the fall." Mito suggests. 

"But we get Kagami back, first."

"Of course." Tobirama assures.

* * *

_Uchiha Clan Compound, Oct. 22nd_

"Hikaku."

"Izuna? Kagami! What's happened?"

Izuna holds out a sleeping Kagami for Hikaku to take.

"Get him back to his parents. We discovered the kidnappers."

"F-for _all_ of them?"

"…Most. They'll be dealt with accordingly." Izuna lies.

Hikaku thinks he knows the 'punishment' the kidnappers will receive, so he smiles. It's just what they deserve.

* * *

_Unknown Location, Oct. 23rd_

Madara wakes up standing. It's odd that he does, because he was convinced he was going to die on his back. That's why he– gave… Izuna his… eyes.

Why can he see? What… what is going on?

Izuna smiles at him and grabs his hands.

"Hi, Nii-san." He says giddily. "Do you like our new jutsu?" He gestures to his right, where Tobirama and an Uzumaki are fawning over a bewildered Hashirama.

Something is… very not right.

"Izuna? What's going on?"

Izuna tackles him into a tight hug, burying his head into Madara's shoulder.

"I don't care about the consequences…" He mutters. Sighing blissfully, Izuna nuzzles Madara's shoulder like he did when they were kids. "I really missed you, Nii-san."

* * *

REGARDING THE SERIAL KIDNAPPINGS—A STATEMENT FROM YOUR LEADERS, SENJU TOBIRAMA, UZUMAKI MITO, & UCHIHA IZUNA.

The new, imitative Hidden Village in the Land of Lightning, known as "Kumo", has been engaging in sabotage for the past month. They have been kidnapping and disposing of our citizens with a high level of competence. Those directly responsible have now been appropriately and expertly dealt with. Their aim was to disrupt and demoralize Konoha's treaty and our way of life—they thought us a threat. 

We can be so much more.

**Author's Note:**

> alternate title: Developing Edo Tensei Turns You Into a Serial Killer
> 
> oh heck, it's the disturbing trio™
> 
> poor kumo. i like to think this is how the first shinobi world war started in this au.


End file.
